Trader Joe's Yay/Nay Thread - July 2013 [OLD]

Summer is now in full swing and Trader Joe's has some great foods to add to your summer picnics and celebrations. What products have you bought lately that stand out for you - would you rate them with a "yay" or "nay"?

Looked for this tonight but was unable to find it on the shelf - it was closing time so I will have to call up our TJ's tomorrow. Crossing our fingers that our store carries the hobo bread - I've noticed that it does not carry some bakery products that other areas of the country have.

Oh I wish I was wrong AmyH, but I called up our TJ's today and the manager told me that they will not be carrying the Hobo bread. He said that he checked the computer and it was not orderable for our area. :-(

Thanks for the recommendation and another YAY! here for the hobo bread. A nice dessert with cream cheese as you suggested. It recalls that date nut bread in a can that we had occasionally when I was a child.

Finally found it and had to try it. Much denser and richer than Boston brown bread - more a cake than a bread, like Thomas's date nut bread. (We always had it in the house when I was growing up, but Thomas doesn't make it any more. Hey, another project for Trader Joe.)

Thomas (or whatever company now owns them, Bimbo I think) does make the date nut bread but only around the Christmas holidays. Unfortunately it tastes very dry now to me, the recipe may have changed; and it costs around $6 for a surprisingly tiny loaf, which also seems to be a change, at least based on my recollection.

How recently were you able to buy it? Quite a few posts on the Web, all with a despairing tone, and nothing positive since 2008. But thanks for the info, I'll look for it during the holidays just in case.

I got it a couple of years ago, it was in a free standing bin near the bread aisle. I believe it appeared around Thanksgiving and disappeared after Christmas. As a matter of fact, I think they advertised that fact somehow. But I think Thomas was owned by General Mills then, then a year ago they were bought out by Bimbo (this is off the top of my head, hard to keep up with the acquisitions!) If I wasn't so lazy/busy, I'd contact them myself just to find out the updated story on date nut.

If you do find it this year, let me know what you think. I have started making my own in an attempt to have some on hand when I want, it is one of my favorite things in the world. I'm getting close to the gooey goodness that was Thomas. Next time I'm in Trader Joes (a few times a year) I will see if they have theirs here in my area.

This is good to know. Hobo bread sounded like monkey bread to me, assumed it was white. I usually skip the bakery section, we have a local grocery that imports fantastic bread from NYC, but will check it out next time.

I don't know how new it is or isn't, as I usually make my own hummus, but we needed some in a pinch for an event we did yesterday and the Roasted Garlic hummus I bought there was devoured and complimented by everyone! I didn't even get to try it though I did manage to snag a quinoa-black bean tortilla chip, which guests were also putting away happily. They weren't bad, but I'm still glad I can eat all the gluten all the time instead.

YAY that they are now carrying the Dark Chocolate PB cups in the small packages for 0.99 each year round (not just during the holiday season), but what about those of us who are Milk Chocolate PB cup fans? Perhaps wishful thinking but I would love if they would come out with small packages of milk choc. PB cups as well!

I like those Cinnamon Rolls found in the bakery section that you're talking about - great suggestion to toast them with cream cheese, usually I just eat them straight from the package. I like these cinnamon rolls because I don't find them overly sugary sweet - they have a nice balance between cinnamon and sugar in them.